Yesterday you may have seen this invitation from Starbucks circulating the internet. It gives little more information than an ambiguous promise for a “big celebration,” calling to mind visions of balloons falling from the sky, or possibly dancing in the streets.
The real event was slightly less climactic. A single white tent in the center of the outdoor Hollywood and Highland shopping center housed Starbucks’ big news - the launch of new Pike Place Roast coffee blend.
Cheerful baristas in familiar green aprons and hats pushed free samples of the new brew on passing crowds, explaining the thought behind the newest addition to the Starbucks coffee family. The Pike Place Roast is Starbucks’ response to the common complaint that their coffee tastes burnt. To me this is quite a curiosity, because it is an implied acknowledgement that sometimes their coffee does, in fact, taste like it’s been scalded in a metal pan.
A barista explained that the Pike Place Roast is really about consistency. Because of the varying climates and growing seasons throughout the world, it is impossible to buy the same quality bean from the same place year-round. So the Starbucks think tank came up with a (top secret!) recipe that involves continuously fluctuating the types of beans used in the Pike Place Roast, depending on the season and place of origin of the bean, in order to maintain a consistently smoother, more palatable, and less acidic coffee year round.
The Pike Place Roast did in fact taste smooth and fuller, especially when it was black, and there were barely any of those high-note bitter flavor kicks you might experience with their other blends. The difference probably won’t change your life, but if you already go to Starbucks, you may want to give it a shot, just to see what you think.
Today also marks the launch of two other Starbucks schemes. Now you can get some extra perks if you use a Starbucks gift card, like free syrup, free brewed coffee refills and a free coffee with a whole bean purchase. Starbucks is also starting a new website called My Starbucks Idea, a site whose entire purpose is customer feedback. Finally, a dignified, official venue for your cappuccino complaints.
As an admitted Starbucks junkie (the kind that has exact change ready before they order), I will probably be stopping by my neighborhood ‘bucks to try this new stuff out a few more times. If you didn’t make it to the “celebration” yesterday, don’t worry too much. Starbucks won’t let you miss out on all the coffee they want to sell you.
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Peanut Gallery // Apr 9, 2008 at 11:35 am
Pfffft, Starbucks overhyping something? Shocking! Free coffee samples? That’s what they call a big celebration?
And this new coffee is just some bland blend… There coffee is going to become even more boring and predictable
2 Kendra // Apr 9, 2008 at 3:54 pm
you braved the hollywood & highland parking lot for that? i hope at least you got to see the very realistic-looking shrek and fiona they have working there. seriously, they might be real….
3 Starbucks Takes A Page From Jamba Juice Playbook | LA.CityZine.com - Los Angeles // May 13, 2008 at 7:02 pm
[...] it was Pike Place roast, which guarantees a consistent (-ly bland) experience year-round. But not content with just that, [...]
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